When: 1896Who: Homer Plessy and the U.S. Supreme Court.What: a 30-year-old colored shoemaker named Homer Plessy was jailed for sitting in the "White" car of the East Louisiana Railroad. What it did: The Plessy decision set the authority that "separate" facilities for blacks and whites were constitutional as long as they were "equal." The "separate but equal" concept was quickly extended to cover many areas of public life, such as restaurants, theaters, restrooms, and public schools.

When: 1877-1960sWhat: Laws passed in many states punishing certain people for associating with members of another race. What it did:Whites thought they were superior and blacks were ment to serve them. Some examples of Jim Crow laws are the division of public schools, public places, and public transportation, and the segregation of restrooms, restaurants, and drinking fountains for whites and blacks. The U.S. military was also segregated

When: May 17, 1954.Who: The United States Supreme CourtWhat: The decision ruled that segregation by race in the United States was not, after all, constitutional, because most segregated conditions were not equal.What it did: It made black Americans more capable of achieving to the same levels that white Americans were, because their education was now up to the same standard as white Americans in each community.When: December 1955 - 1956.Who: Started by Rosa ParksWhat: African Americans in Montgomery stopped riding Montgomery buses to protest segregation after Rosa Parks was arrested for sitting in the "white" area of a bus.What it did: Montgomery received a Supreme Court Order to organize its bus system. From the boycott, one of its leaders rose above the rest, Martin Luther King, Jr. The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a launching point for Matrin Luther, and also for the civil rights movement.

When: August 28, 1963.Who: Martin Luther King Jr., and the 200,000 who participatedWhat: 200,000 people peacefully marched on Washington and gathered at the National Mall to hear speeches from civil rights leaders. Martin Luther King Jr. makes his "I have a dream" speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial. It was a march for jobs and freedom.What it did: The march becomes an important moment of the Civil Rights Movement.

The Missouri CompromiseWhen: Presented January 1850 Who: Henry Clay presented the compromise. What: A series of bills settling disputes, including the Fugitive Slave Act, were proposed to settle differences between free-state and slave-state politicians. It abolished slavery in Washington, D.C. and decided that California would be a free state. What it did: The goal of this compromise was to compromise, so there were benefits both for abolitionists and slavery supporter..

When: Raid occurred from October 16-18, 1859.Who:

John Brown, an abolitionist, along with supporters.What:

John Brown and his supporters assailed and raided the federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia, aiming to supply slaves with weapons and lead a revolt. However, his plan failed and within a day and a half of the attack, a majority of Brown's men were dead or hurt. For his breach of the law, Brown was sentenced to hanging.What it did:

Once again, Brown's raid made slavery a topic of national conversation. He also set an example to more peaceable Northern abolitionists and was regarded as an impressive and passionate advocate for abolition.

The American Civil WarWhen: From August of 1861 to Spring 1865.Who: The North (The Union) & The South (The Confederacy).What: A war between the North (free) and South (slave) of the United States. The main cause of what was the lack of unity in opinions on slavery throughout the U.S. All Confederate armies surrendered by spring 1865, though in the beginning of the war it looked as though the Confederates were going to be the victors. Certainly they had an advantage, because they were constantly on the defensive - meaning they knew the land and were friendly with the people in the world they were fighting in.What it did: With a Union victory, slavery was abolished throughout the United States and the U.S. were united once again. However, there was an extremely high count of American deaths (625,000): the war and its solution did not come at a low cost.To Kill a Mocking BirdWhen was the novel set

: In 1930' s during the Great DepressionWhen was the novel written : 1960